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Attaching Deck Ledgers
In addition to using the right fasteners in sufficient numbers, an important factor in designing ledger attachments is preventing moisture damage — rot — from weakening the ledger and band joist.
JLC

Deck Collapses in Fayette County, Pennsylvania
The August 19 collapse is still under investigation, but photos make it clear that the connection to the house failed, as is often the case in deck collapses.
The Pittsburgh Channel

Existing-Home Sales Plunge 27.2%
The sale of existing U.S. homes sank 27.2% in July -- the biggest one-month drop ever -- largely because of the phase-out of a federal tax credit, according to an industry trade group.
MarketWatch

New-Home Sales Declined Sharply Last Month
Sales of new homes declined unexpectedly in July, the government said on Wednesday in the second report this week that showed that the housing sector stalled last month.
New York Times

30-Year-Old Deck Collapses in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Twenty people were on the deck when it collapsed during a birthday party, authorities said. The deck was about 30 years old, and investigators believe age played a major role in the collapse.
Kare11.com

Poor Fastening Contributed to August 5 New Hampshire Deck Collapse
Engineer Robert Brecknock said the deck’s 2-by-6-inch angular support beams were attached to exterior walls using 1˝-inch joist hanger nails, also known as “toenails,” which are not are strong enough for such a job.
Nashua Telegraph

$1,058 in Fines Paid for Texas Deck Collapse
The host of a party during which a deck collapsed paid $1,058 in fines this week for violating city codes, but the contractor who did the work and the owner of the property have still not been cited.
KXAN.com

4 Hospitalized in Connecticut Deck Collapse
An 8-foot-high deck that collapsed August 9 and sent four people to the hospital was old and deteriorating, a building official said.
The New Haven Register

"Shocking" Problem At Playground In Marshfield
When volunteers tested new playground equipment in Marshfield, Mass., they were shocked -- by recycled plastic decking.
WBZ

23 People Injured in Austin, Texas, Deck Collapse
An Austin Fire Department written report, taped on the door of the condo, says there were 30 people on the wooden deck when it collapsed on August 1. Fire officials say that was too many; exceeding the weight limit for a balcony of that size. The report also states the structure is just a week old and was illegal to use for parties.
KXAN.com

Second Deck Collapses at Apartment Complex
On July 31 in Hoover, Ala., a deck collapsed at the apartment complex where a deck collapse earlier in the month resulted in a fatality.
MyFoxAL.com

Housing Industry Groups to Sue EPA Over Lead Paint Regulations
A coalition of housing industry groups -- the National Association of Home Builders, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association -- announced plans July 8 to file a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for removing the “opt-out” provision from its Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (LRRP).
Remodeling

Andersen Windows Offering RRP Training
Andersen Windows recently kicked off a nationwide program to make training for the EPA Lead, Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule easier to come by, and more affordable.
Remodeling

EPA Eliminates RRP Opt-Out, Effective July
EPA is eliminating the ``opt-out'' provision that currently exempts a renovation firm from the training and work practice requirements of the rule where the firm obtains a certification from the owner of a residence he or she occupies that no child under age 6 or pregnant women resides in the home and the home is not a child- occupied facility. EPA is also requiring renovation firms to provide a copy of the records demonstrating compliance with the training and work practice requirements of the RRP rule to the owner and, if different, the occupant of the building being renovated or the operator of the child-occupied facility. In addition, the rule makes minor changes to the certification, accreditation and state authorization requirements.
Federal Register

Cost Vs. Value Report 2009-10
Remodeling magazine has released its annual report comparing costs of popular remodeling projects with the resale value of those upgrades.
Remodeling